The Taste of Freedom
by suicidalmime
Summary: Detective Chief Inspector Arthur Pendragon forms an interesting relationship with Guinevere Leodegrance, the one that got away. BBC Luther inspired.
1. The Taste of Freedom

**Summary:** Detective Chief Inspector Arthur Pendragon forms an interesting relationship with Guinevere Leodegrance, the one that got away. BBC Luther inspired.

**Author's Note:** So if you're familiar with my drabble/one-shot series _Across the Universe _and _Him and Her_ then you've read the original of this and its two additional drabbles. I really enjoyed writing those and got such positive feedback on the additional parts (Invitations and Open Doors/Drinking Buddy in _Him and Her_), so I wanted to do another drabbley/one-shot dump for this Luther inspired AU.

The next two chapters will go up fairly quick. I just have to edit them. So yeah. Enjoy! (and enjoy again if you're rereading :D)

* * *

**The Taste of Freedom**

DCI Arthur Pendragon entered his flat and froze in the doorway. Something was off; he could feel it—smell it—in the air. Something…_sweet_. He shut the door quietly, drew his gun, and ventured in.

_Clink._

It came from the kitchen.

He peered around the corner and sighed, putting the gun away before entering. "Guinevere."

Guinevere Leodegrance was in his flat, in his kitchen, at his table, drinking his tea out of his mug. "Arthur," she said pleasantly. "Welcome home. How was your day?"

He kept his distance. "You do realize this is breaking and entering."

"I only entered. Nothing was broken, I promise you." Her smile was bright and innocent. "You look like you've had a long day. Please, have a seat. Stay a while." That twinkle in her eye unnerved him. "Tea?"

Guinevere Leodegrance was in his flat, in his kitchen, offering him his own tea.

_Shit_.

X

_Two weeks ago…_

Arthur entered the interrogation room, turned on the recorder, and sat across from the curly haired beauty. "Sorry for the wait, Mrs. Maynard. I'm DCI Arthur Pendragon. I hope you aren't too uncomfortable, these rooms are never pleasurable. I'm sure you understand why."

"I guess I'm not Mrs. Maynard any longer, huh?" she said quietly.

"Guinevere—"

"Please, call me Gwen."

"If you would prefer."

"Though, you do say it quite nicely." She smiled sadly. "I don't think anyone has ever said my name with such…_care_."

Arthur wasn't sure how to react to that. All he did was say her name in the tone he used when he addressed a suspect in a seemingly fragile state. "You are a suspect in your husband's death, Guinevere. I have to ask you a few questions."

She looked tired. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes were dry. _Too dry_.

"According to your statement, you received a call from one of your husband's associates…"

_She was spending time in the country, away from the dirty secrets of the city's underground, away from __**him**__. Her phone rang and she answered._

"_Where's my package?" The gravelly voice asked._

"_Sorry?"_

"_Helios ain't answerin'. I swear—if he's—"_

"_I don't know, Cendred. I'm out of town. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." She didn't wait for him to speak again before she hung up._

_By the time she got home it was late in the evening. "Babe? You here?" When she entered the kitchen, Helios was lying on the floor among the shattered remains of his mug, tea everywhere. Vomit surrounded his head, and scratch marks were etched in his throat._

"Did your husband have enemies, Guinevere?"

She shrugged. "Of course he did."

"Did he ever hurt you?"

Her eyes hardened. "Not as often as you'd think a man like him would. He used to call me his prized possession."

"No woman should be called a possession," Arthur said. "When did you find out your husband was a sex trafficker?"

"Stop calling him that."

"What? Your husband?" He saw her lip twitch. She was biting back a sneer. "You don't sound like you have much love for him."

"Would you if you found out your significant other sold teenage girls into sexual slavery?!" She leaned forward, folding her hands on the table. "What if your girlfriend," she scrutinized him quickly, "or boyfriend, destroyed these poor girls?" She slid back, exhausted. "I found out after the first year of our marriage. We traveled a lot, but I never questioned it because Helios was a rich man. One night in Mexico, I came back to the hotel early. I overheard him talking to his partners. He was naming names and prices. Not thinking, I walked in and a saw an open folder on his desk. It was full of pictures of girls. I put two and two together. He threatened me. He got me…involved." She was beginning to show emotion, he noted, as her eyes watered and her voice shook. "I tried to leave. He wouldn't let me." The tears began to fall. "An angry wife. That's what my motive is, right?"

Arthur gave her a minute before continuing his interrogation. "Toxicology report showed Helios' tea was laced with belladonna, _deadly_ nightshade." He flipped through the report and showed her the picture of the scene. She didn't flinch. "They say poison is a woman's weapon."

Gwen wiped her face and her eyes narrowed in a glare. "While I was out of the city, my husband had cuppa that I poisoned."

"Is that a confession?"

"I'm just laying out what I'm being accused of."

"You're a smart woman, Guinevere."

"Not smart enough," she snorted in disgust.

She did it, he knew, but she was let go on the grounds that she couldn't be placed at the scene, and there was nothing to trace the poison back to her. All the tea in the house had been examined and the house was thoroughly search. On top of that, any time a man like Helios was off the streets, it's considered a victory. But Arthur's job was to catch murderers, and he was forced to let one go.

He was the youngest chief inspector in the department. He wouldn't deny that his name got him where he was. When your father is Director General of MI5, it gets you through many doors. Arthur worked hard to prove that a name was just a name and that his detective skills were valuable. He did so by having a perfect track record until Guinevere came into the picture.

Unable to let it go, days later Arthur tracked Gwen down to a dance studio. He watched her from the doorway moving gracefully to the music. She was short, but the way she extended her limbs made her legs seem miles long and her arms closer to the heavens when she reached. The way she arched and released, the way she turned and leaped; she danced with abandon. She danced with freedom.

The song ended and she lifted her head, looking at him in the mirror. "He used to watch me dance, so I stopped."

"If all women danced like that when they got away with murder it would make a spectacular show."

She scoffed. "You still think I killed him."

"Not with your bare hands. You just mixed the belladonna with the tea leaves and let the rest fall into play." He saw her roll her eyes in the reflection. "_Leodegrance. _You changed your name back. So soon?"

She gathered her things and walked passed him. "I just want to get my life back in order."

* * *

He watched her now with suspicion as she poured him the tea. "Relax, Arthur. It's not my special blend." To prove her point, she took a sip. Her lipstick left a print of her lower lip on the edge of the mug.

Never in his life has he heard a woman say his name like she did. "What do you want?"

Gwen held the mug out to him. "I don't have any friends." Well, that was honest.

He accepted the tea, but didn't drink it. "You committed an offense because you want to be my friend?"

"No, I don't want to be your friend. And like I said, I didn't break anything," she smirked. "This is for you." She took a folded paper out of her pocket and slid it to the center of the table.

He took it while keeping his eyes on her. They held each other's gaze while he unfolded it. Finally, his eyes flashed down. It was a list of names.

_Cenred Essetir, Kanen Siddig, Julius Borden._ The list went on. "What's this?"

"A list," she said smartly.

He bit the inside of his cheek to stop from making a snide comeback. _"_For_ what?"_

"They're all of Helios' associates. I know human trafficking isn't your division, but if you could pass it on to, I don't know, you're father in the MI6, you'll be saving a lot of lives." She made her way to the sink and cleaned the mug she used…and the rest of his dishes.

He was at a loss for words seeing her to the washing up. "Uh…you don't have to do that." He frowned. "And it's MI5," he muttered.

"Do what?" She looked at him over her shoulder. "Clean up after a man? I guess I don't have to anymore."

He looked back down at the list. "You could've just come to the station instead of—"

"Breaking and entering," she finished his sentence. She dried her hands and turned around, leaning back on the counter. Her hands gripped the edge. "You didn't touch your tea."

Arthur stared down at the cooling liquid, and then back to her. He picked it up and watched her watch him as he brought it to his lips.

"It's late. I guess I should be going," Gwen said, but she didn't move.

He swallowed the apparently not poisoned tea. "Well, off you go."

"They'll be coming for me."

He thought he heard worry in her voice. "Who?"

"Helios' friends." She looked at him sweetly. "Drive me home?"

It was raining, and Gwen traced the trail of raindrops on the window with her finger. "I let the latest group of girls go," she said. "That's why I was in the country side. I brought them to a women's shelter."

"Good." Arthur gripped the steering wheel. He had a murderer in his car. He had the world's sweetest murderer in his car. He concentrated on the road, but he felt her turn and look at him.

"It's upsets you that I got away with it," she stated. He didn't like that she could read him so easily. "I may have orchestrated his death without getting blood on my hands, but murder is murder, and it's your job to put murderers away. But I'm the one that got away."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Do you want to say that again, but at the station?"

They turned down her street. It was an expensive neighborhood, and her house was near the end. The houses were nearly identical. The only thing that separated hers from the others was the three men lurking outside of it.

Gwen press back low into the seat. She brought her arm up, resting her elbow on the window ledge to hide her face with her forearm. She shut her eyes, waiting for what may come. When they got closer, the men barely reacted to the headlights. They just acted like they were three men having a chat in the rain. Arthur stared them down, and they stared back, concentrating purely on him.

Gwen opened her eyes when she felt the car turn the corner. She sat up and looked relieved. "Thank—"

Arthur was tired and frustrated. "Don't thank me," he said and drove her to a hotel.

* * *

It wasn't long before Arthur saw Gwen again, this time by accident. He was on a case. Prostitutes were turning up dead; he was dealing with a modern Jack the Ripper. The call came in from a rundown estate in a known problematic area. It could've been a domestic violence call, but back up was on standby. He took the elevator up to the floor, and when it opened he heard screaming from down the hall. He found the room it was coming from and busted in. There was shuffling, crashes, muffled grunts and curses coming from the bedroom. He saw a woman in her underwear tied to the bed, and Gwen slowly sitting up from the floor with blood dripping from her hairline before he was tackled to the floor. He dropped his gun, and the killer tried to pummel his face. The man was the size of a house, and all Arthur could do was block his strikes. The blows stopped and he saw the killer hold up a knife.

_Bang!_

The killer's eyes bulged and his body jiggled with the shock.

_Bang! _

The killer coughed and he dropped the knife.

_Bang!_

The bullet ripped through his throat and blood splattered on Arthur's face. Arthur pushed him over and sat up. The killer was laying face down like a fat, fleshy blob. The bullet holes lined straight up his spine. Three perfect shots.

Gwen lowered the gun and rushed to the girl, untying her. The prostitute launched herself in Gwen's arms, sobbing. Arthur took off his jacket and gave it to Gwen to place on around the girl. Sirens were heard in the distance.

"_Dare I ask why you were there?" He asked her._

"_The girl, her name is Sefa. She's one of the girls who…I keep trying to get her out of it but she's too scared of what her pimp will do to her if she tries. I check up on her every now and then. He was a client, I guess. When I got there, he answered the door, dragged me in and tied me up. Poorly, I might add."_

"_Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"_

_The corner of her red lips turned up. "Care for a lesson?"_

Arthur lied in his report. He said the killer was on top of Gwen and he shot him. Thankfully he wiped the blood from his face before the cops entered the flat. The lie was effortless. Protecting Gwen felt second nature. It surprised him.

"I never thanked you," he said.

"You never thanked me for…?" _Killing a killer. Saving your life. _Gwen raised an eyebrow in faux confusion. She was quick and he liked it.

* * *

The third time they met that month was because Arthur, against his better judgment, invited Gwen out for coffee. _"_Not tea?" she joked over the phone_. _Her laugh was lovely over the phone, but he would kill to hear her do it in person.

They sat a table next to the window. They people watched, speculating which ones that passed were capable of committing murder. It was morbid, but they were having…fun.

"Is this even appropriate, seeing a former murder suspect?" Gwen asked.

"Not really," Arthur said. "And I'm not _seeing_ you. This isn't a date."

"No? But you paid for my coffee." She waved the paper cup at him.

The lipstick print on the lid reminded him of the one she left on his mug. "Chivalry is not entirely dead." Under the table, he felt her give him a light, playful kick. "Assaulting an officer of the law now?"

And there it was, that melodious laughter. She held the coffee up to her lips and smiled. "Free does taste better."

* * *

**A/N: **I don't have a planned ending/actual storyline for this, so please add in suggestions for situations/shenanigans you want Arthur and Gwen to get in. This story is more focused on friendship so **do not** suggest romantic situations. I want them to have the Luther-Alice dynamic wiiiiiith a little more flirt. Because let's face it, Alice is more scary than flirty XD

**Thanks for reading! **I look forward to your suggestions!


	2. Invitations and Open Doors

**Invitations and Open Doors**

When Arthur's alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. on his day off, he wished for terrible things. He could've sworn that he turned it off yesterday. He dismissed it and went back to sleep. It rang again at 6:05 and 6:10.

"What the—?" He checked alarm setting. A string of alarms were set to go off every five minutes. He turned off every one of them and flopped back on the bed. He covered an arm over his eyes and tried to drift back to sleep.

The phone went off again. _"Goddammit!" _He was about to chuck it then he realized it was a text message.

_Our place at 7._

It was from Gwen. Yesterday, she was at the station to speak with the superintendent about Helios' known associates. But before she went to Gaius' office, she was in Arthur's. He had left her alone for two minutes when he went to get Gaius. He left her alone with his phone. "Our place," he read out loud. _"Ha."_ Their place had become the café where they first had coffee together.

He had a half hour to get ready. He grumbled and rolled out of bed.

Despite it being early in the morning, he expected Gwen to be all dolled up in a form fitting dress, high heels, slim cigarette between her fingers in one hand and a clutch with a small pistol inside in the other. He needed to lay off the Saturday night film noirs with Merlin. Gwen was sitting at their usual spot, lazily dressed just as he was. They both wore hoodies, his red and hers purple, and their jeans were even the same dark wash. Hers were tighter than his, of course.

"This better be important," Arthur said as he sat down.

"It is. It's breakfast, the most important meal of the day." His scowling only made Gwen's smile widen. "Cheer up! I'm paying."

Over coffee and breakfast sandwiches, they played their usual game of spot the potential killer.

"So many angry faces this morning. How many homicides occur around this time?" Gwen asked and bit into her sandwich.

"They largely happen in the evening. The daytime ones are usually shootings, involuntary manslaughter, deadly housewives…"

Gwen clapped her hands together with glee. "_Ooh,_ tell me more about the deadly housewives," she egged him on.

Arthur sipped his coffee and leaned back in his chair. "There isn't much to say. They hate their husbands, and they like to mess with peoples alarms."

The next night it was his turn to drop in on her. It wasn't exactly unannounced; he did have an invitation, sort of, in the form of three spaced out text.

_Come over when you're free._

30 minutes later…

_Nvm I'll tell you when_

2 hours later…

_All clear. Door's open._

The door couldn't be closed if it tried. There was a hole where the knob and lock should've been. Arthur drew his gun and went inside. It was dark except for a light on in the kitchen. He entered the lit room and found it empty as well.

_Crunch_.

He stepped on shattered glass, and when he backed up to look at it, he felt a point dig into his back.

"Sorry. I thought you were someone else." Gwen rounded him and placed the knife on the counter. She danced around the glass shards and put the kettle on.

"Are you going to clean that up?" Arthur asked.

Gwen stared disinterested at the mess. "Eventually."

Arthur holstered his gun, but his detective instinct took over and he analyzed his surroundings. Clear paths swept through the pile like it was pushed aside with a foot...or dragged. He was absorbed in his analysis that he didn't notice Gwen standing next to him offering him a cup of tea.

"Helios' friends dropped in. They really made a mess of the place."

He took the tea without hesitation this time. "Did they come to send a message?"

"They came looking for Helios. They don't know he's dead, and he owes them money." Gwen shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "These men would stab each other for a quid," she snickered.

"And that bruise on your wrist?"

"It got a little rough."

"Are you alright?"

She smiled. "You should see the other guy. I didn't kill him if that's what you're wondering." Her eyes flickered to the knife. "Got him in the leg." She sighed. "Bled all over the carpet."

Arthur sat at the table and took a sip of the tea. It was good. Really good. He briefly wondered how the tea that killed Helios tasted.

Gwen joined him. "Have you ever been shot?"

Arthur's hand automatically went to his shoulder. "Yeah."

"How'd it happen?"

"Just some meth-head," he said casually.

"Such contrasting feelings on either side of the gun, aren't they? When you hold it, you have the power; on the other side of it you're helpless."

"How many times have you been on the receiving end?"

"More than enough. Today one was pressed against my temple." Gwen tapped her temple then stood up. She grabbed the knife, walked around the glass and continued the story. "He held it against me and dragged me. As we passed the counter," she used the knife as a pointer, "he didn't notice that I grabbed the knife. When we reached the living room, I stabbed him in the thigh." She stabbed downward for emphasis. Then she pointed to Arthur's shoes with the knife. "You might've stepped in some blood on your way in."

Arthur frowned. "Did you even try to clean up?" Gwen flicked the light on in the living room. Clearly not. There was a trail of dried blood splatter along the floor. Throw pillows were everywhere, the glass coffee table was also shattered, and a crack ran through the television. There were also several bullet holes in the wall.

Gwen sighed. "There goes the resale value."

Arthur's brain was doing its detective scan again, envisioning the struggle without Gwen's narration. "Wait. You said 'Helios' friends.' What happened to the other guys?"

"You should see the other rooms."

* * *

Two weeks later, Arthur finished a heavy case. They got the guy but there were two hostages, and unfortunately they couldn't save them both. He washed the day away and stepped out the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Gwen lying across his bed propped up on her elbow.

She sat up sleepily. "Do you even have hot water left? You were in there for some time. Or were you…?" She finished the sentence with a wiggle of her eyebrows

Arthur held the towel tightly around his waist. "I think we're going to have to have a conversation about boundaries."

"I saw the news. I'm glad you're okay," she said.

"Thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Arthur clutched end of the towel tighter. "I want to put on clothes."

Gwen covered her eyes, and he smiled at her. He changed in the bathroom, and when he came out he saw Gwen lying on the right side of the bed. On the left side, his preferred side, he laid on his stomach with his head turned to her.

"What are you doing here, Guinevere?" He was too exhausted to care, but he thought to ask anyway.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," she spoke quietly now that they were in such close proximity.

Arthur bet she had an ulterior motive. "And?"

"And I'm homeless."

_Ah, there it is. _"What happened?"

"House burned down."

"How?"

"Candle? Gas leak?" Gwen snapped her fingers and pointed. "Faulty wiring!"

Arthur buried his face in his pillow. "Great. You're an arsonist now."

Gwen pushed him. "I didn't say I did it!"

He rolled over away from her. "What haven't you done since I met you?"

Gwen stared at Arthur's back thinking. "Oh! I haven't committed robbery."

Arthur snorted.

They laid in comfortable silence. Arthur began nodding off, but Gwen's voice woke him back up.

"You're bed is a lot more comfortable than the one at the hotel I'm staying at."

Arthur made a disgruntled noise and got up. "See you in the morning," he said not even looking at her and giving a sloppy wave of the hand when he left the room.

He woke up on the couch with a stiff neck and a post-it note on his forehead. He peeled it off and read Gwen's neat and delicate script.

_When I die, I hope you get assigned to my case._

On his coffee table was a steaming cup of tea.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks always** for reading and reviewing! Keep those suggestions coming! :D


	3. Drinking Buddy

**Author's Note: Stacy **suggested they meet up at a bar and Gwen does karaoke. I already had this chapter which takes place in a bar, but I did add a mention of karaoke!

**Drinking Buddy**

It's been nearly three months since Arthur saw Gwen. Her post-it was her last words to him. There was a pile of paperwork to go through, but his focus was on the crinkled note. _Where are you, Guinevere?_ He was tempted to file a missing persons.

Merlin knocked on the doorframe. Arthur put the note in his drawer. "Yeah?"

"We're all going out for drinks. Are you joining us, or are you going to spend another night staring at that old post-it?"

Arthur glanced at drawer. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Merlin gave a playful snicker. "Sure you don't. I'll see you tomorrow then."

He had to look for her, he just had to. He didn't know where to start. No matter what he searched for, he ended up at a dead end. The last chance he had was to see Sefa.

Arthur passed a hooker on his way into the old housing. "I'll do you for free," she winked. He took the elevator up to Sefa's floor. The hallway—the building in general—was cleaner than the last time he was there. Arthur knocked on the door and a woman answered.

She looked him up and down. "You're not my client."

"No," Arthur said. "Is Sefa around?"

"She left like a month ago. Someone paid big bucks to get her out."

He was sure it was Gwen. The only problem was that now there was no one else who could give him any sort of clue to where she could be.

* * *

After another unsuccessful week, Arthur sat alone at the bar of a nearly empty pub. He ran a hand down his face trying to wipe away the exhaustion.

"I'll have what he's having," the voice he wouldn't admit to missing came from next to him.

He stared at Gwen blankly as she settled on the stool. "Are you kidding me?" he said in disbelief. "I was waiting for your body to be fished out of the Thames!"

The bartender set the drink in front of Gwen. She took a sip and frowned. "Water? Seriously? I thought you were having a brooding-detective-downing-his-sorrow-in-hard-liquor moment."

"Where have you—_!_" Arthur realized he was on the verge of yelling. He quickly calmed down. "Where have you been?"

"Did you miss me?" Gwen's eyes twinkled. When the bartender went by she asked for a real drink.

"I've been trying to track you down."

"Is that detective-speak for 'Yes, Guinevere, I missed you with all my heart."

Suddenly Arthur needed a real drink too.

"You really did try to track me down?"

Arthur looked away from her and stared down into his drink. "You got Sefa out of there, didn't you? That's great, but she was my only lead."

"Yes, I did. Finally." He heard Gwen sigh. "I had to clean up a lot of messes. Tie up some loose ends."

He needed to ask. It's been eating away at him for the last three months. "Where'd you go? What were you doing?"

"Settle down, detective," she chuckled. "Long story short, I know a lot of bad people that needed to be put down. I also know a lot of bad people who are on my side."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her. "Putting hits on people now?"

Gwen laughed into her glass before she took another sip. "This is not how I imagined my life to be."

She told him her story. She was going for school for dance, but had to drop out due to her family's financial struggle. She was disappointed, but she wasn't angry. She would do anything for her family, but no matter how many jobs she worked, the money wasn't coming in fast enough. One day, she found herself standing outside a gentleman's club staring at a wanted flyer for dancer. She would be able to make more money in a night than a week's worth of work at her other jobs combined. It was an option.

And that's when she met Helios.

"_What's a girl like you standing outside a place like this?" he asked._

_Gwen took in his appearance. He was too finely dressed for this side of town. "Times are tough for a girl like me."_

_Helios gave her a polite smile. "Well, how about I treat a girl like you to lunch?"_

_She eyed him warily. "I don't go out to lunch with strangers."_

"_I'm Helios." He offered her his hand._

"_Gwen." She took it._

Helios was a smooth talker, and he charmed his way into her heart. He bought her things and helped pay bills. He insisted on it. Quickly, all the debt was gone. And when her father and brother died together in an accident, Helios was there to comfort her. He eased her mind from the tragedy. As they grew closer, he pampered her and took her on trips to lavish places. She experienced luxury beyond her wildest dreams. If only she knew, she would've preferred living a life of struggle than in constant fear and disgust.

_She was chopping peppers when she felt Helios' arms wrap around her. She stilled, held her breath, and gripped the knife._

"_Tomorrow's going to be a long day. I won't be able to wait to get back home, have my tea, have you," he whispered in her ear. His hot breath, his very being, revolted her._

_Gwen continued chopping. "And I can't wait for you to try my new blend. It's to die for."_

_When she found his body and called the cops, she wept with relief. It made her call sound more convincing. But once the call ended, she laughed, and she laughed, and the tears flowed harder._

Gwen finished her drink. "Maybe I should write a book."

"It'd be one helluva read," Arthur said. "Can I get an autographed copy?"

"Even better, I'll dedicate it to you." Gwen tried to keep a straight face. "To DCI Arthur Pendragon," she raised her empty glass, "Dot, dot, dot. I'm not sure what would come after that."

"How about: Sorry for being a pain in the ass?" he suggested. "Did you know I was here, or was it coincidence?"

"Coincidence, actually." Gwen leaned closer to Arthur. "It's like fate brought us back together."

Arthur leaned in too. "So you can terrorize me again?"

Gwen tugged his tie and then began straightening it. "Terrorize you? If I wanted to terrorize you I'd get up on that karaoke stage and serenade you." She rambled on about song choices. "Or better yet, I can just sing songs by The Police. Get it? Because you're the police, so I'll sing songs by The Police," she chuckled at her little ramble. Her fingers lingered on the knot and Arthur's eyes flickered at to her lips, glossy with her signature red lipstick. Several months ago his first thought would've been that she was trying to choke him. Working his way back up to her eyes, the corner of his mouth twitched up at the sight of her freckles; they were an endearing feature to her femme fatale nature.

The bartender announced last call.

"I should go," Gwen said, not really making a move to leave.

"Go where?"

She ran her fingers along his cheek. "You could do with a shave, detective." She slid off the stool. It brought them even closer, and Arthur had to lean back to give her room. "See you around."

He watched her go until she was out the door.

The bartender let out a low whistle. He'd been watching as well. "Friend of yours?"

Arthur had to be honest. "I have no idea."

The bartender grabbed Gwen's empty glass. Arthur's eyes lingered on the lipstick stain. Then, he realized that she didn't pay for her drink. He smiled and shook his head. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, and found more than that inside.

There was a folded napkin with an address on it.

* * *

**A/N: **I already have a plan for where the address leads to, so I don't need ideas for that. But I think I know of a way I'll be able to incorporate **freckled98**'s suggestion involving a dog :)

**Thanks always** for reading and reviewing! And keep those suggestions coming!


	4. Guard Dog

**Guard Dog**

Gwen watched Arthur sit in the car outside her flat for a good twenty minutes. At first she thought it was another grunt looking for Helios, but then she saw the detective's head peeking through the car window to study the building from the car. She imagined he was confused by the address when he pulled up to the seemingly vacant building. When she left the address stuck to his forehead, she made a bet with herself to see how long it would take him to show up. Betting on his impatience and persistence, she lost. It took him six days. Maybe she should've factored in his work schedule.

Deciding to put Arthur out of his misery, she went down to greet him. She sashayed up to the car and knocked on the window. Unless her eyes were deceiving her, he looked relieved. When he rolled down the window, she leaned in on her elbows. "Hey there, big boy. How may I service you today?" she said in her best hooker voice and batted her eyelashes.

Arthur made a face, but before he said anything a dog snout was in her face, sniffing her. She backed away in surprise and Arthur got out. A large german shepherd joined him.

"So, is this is your new hideout? I thought you were leading me on a wild goose chase because…" Arthur gestured to the vacant building space.

"I bought the whole thing. I'm going to turn the space into a dance studio. I live upstairs," she said while still staring at the dog. "When did you get a dog? Do you even have time to care for one?"

"Two days ago. No. And he's not mine." Arthur passed the leash to her. "He's yours."

Gwen held the leash, unsure. She looked at him, then down to the dog, and then back to the detective. "You got me a guard dog?"

He ignored the question. "Guinevere, meet Tiny."

"_Tiny?" _

Arthur shrugged. "He was the runt of the litter."

"Keyword being _was,_" Gwen muttered.

Tiny laid down and yawned, probably bored with them just standing there. He looked up at Arthur with sad dog eyes. "He's retired and could use a good home."

Gwen remembered she was still holding the leash. "So you thought I'd take him?"

"You could use a friend," Arthur said.

"Helios got me a poodle while we were in France. One day while walking it, I stopped to sit on a bench, and this woman sat down next to me. She started sobbing and babbling in French. I just passed her the leash and walked away." Gwen remembered how much she had to pretend to like the annoying poodle. "She did stop crying though."

"Well Tiny definitely isn't a poodle."

"Cuter than one, too." She kneeled in front of the dog and he sat up. "Hi, Tiny." She scratched behind his ear and he nuzzled her palm. "Let's get you acquainted with your new home."

Arthur went to the trunk and pulled out two large bags of kibble, a dog bed, and two feeding bowls with cartoon skull and crossbones patterns. The skulls were cats. "Wanna give me a hand?"

"Nope," Gwen said smiling and Tiny followed her up to the flat.

Inside, Gwen had Arthur put the dog bed next to the sofa, and Tiny bypassed it and curled up on the couch. She filled the water bowl and Arthur filled the other with kibble.

"Where do you want this?" Arthur asked.

"Um…" Gwen looked around the kitchen. "There, in that corner." They laid the bowls down and Tiny bounded over and lapped at the water.

"So, how efficient is a retired police dog for guard duty?"

Arthur leaned against the island. "It's not because of age, if that's what you're wondering. On the job he was shot in the hip. He's fully recovered, but he decided to keep living the life of leisure after rehab."

Gwen laughed. "Lost his work ethic, has he?"

Tiny perked his head up and looked at them as if he knew he was being talked about. Arthur kneeled down to pet him. Tiny rolled onto his back to have his belly rubbed. Arthur snickered. "Yeah, this is a lot more fun than chasing bad guys, huh boy?"

Gwen wouldn't tell him this, but the image of grown men and animals made her melt. The tough, cranky cop she loved to pester looked more relaxed than he's ever been since she first met him. "Are you sure you can't keep him?"

"I wish." He had given her a carefree smile that quickly fell when his phone rang. "Pendragon," he answered. Tiny sat back up, disgruntled by the sudden lack of attention. "I'm on my way." Arthur hung up and told Gwen that he'll see himself out. He gave the Tiny another pat on the head. "Take care of him."

Gwen watched Arthur as he walked to the door, shoulders square and back in work-mode. Tiny followed him to the door. Arthur scratched the dog behind the ears one more time. "Take care of her, boy," he said quietly. He probably thought she wouldn't hear him, but she did. Tiny replied with a _ruff._

"Arthur," Gwen said suddenly moving forward when he opened the door. "Thank you."

He gave her a nod before closing the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N: **

**freckled98**, I hope you liked what I did with your suggestion.

**Stacy **and **larasmith**, for the next chapter I have something in mind for your ideas of Gwen being assisting in an investigation.

**Guest**, (I wish you had a name so I can specifically identify your loveliness) I love the idea of Arthur keeping tabs on Gwen! I'll definitely use that in the future :D

As always, **THANK YOU** all for reading and reviewing, and keep those suggestions coming!


	5. One of the Guys

**Author's Note: Stacy **suggested Gwen helping Arthur get into a nightclub to do an investigation, and **larasmith **mentioned Gwen being an informer.

**One of the Guys**

Arthur and Merlin stood inside the taped off alleyway studying the body as the forensic photographer took pictures. The call came in early in the morning from a baker who was greeted by the unsavory sight.

The flash lit up the exposed skull and brain from the fatal blow and Merlin turned away. Arthur snickered. "Seriously? You've seen worse than this."

Merlin tried to look again and grimaced. "There's just something about brain matter…"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Stand on the other side then."

As Merlin rounded the body, he spotted something on the stiff's hand. He crouched down to get a better look. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Arthur and Gilli, the photographer, leaned in to look. Merlin took out his pen and used it as a pointer. He traced the outline of faded ink on the pale hand.

Gilli took a close-up shot. "That looks like a stamp from the Crystal Club." Arthur and Merlin gave him a blank look. "It's the most popular club in London."

"And you know that how?"

"I do have a life!"

They didn't quite believe Gilli and studied him with furrow brows until Merlin's phone rang. "Emrys," he answered. "Another one?" Merlin glanced at the body. "There wouldn't happen to be a club stamp on one of his hands, would there?" There was a moment of silence, and Arthur gave him an expectant look. Merlin gave a thumbs up. "Great! I mean not great as in _great_, I mean…you know what I mean. Thanks Leon." He hung up.

"Where was the body found?" Arthur asked.

"A few block from here."

"Okay," Arthur said waving in the coroner. "Let's get him bagged. Gilli, tell us everything you know about this club."

Gilli had actually only been to the club once for his college roommate's cousin's bachelor party. He described it as one of those really expensive clubs you see in movies. It was a converted warehouse glammed up to the nines. The drinks cost more than your hourly pay, every chair you sit on cost more than your rent, and the girls dancing in cages and swinging on aerial silk swings are dressed in those really expensive, blinged-out Victoria's Secret bras. _"How do you know its Victoria's Secret?" "What? I'm a warm blooded male. I've seen the shows on the telly." _Gilli's point, the moment you step in, you feel like you're sinning.

Doing more research on the club they discovered the owner served a bit of time himself, but they still didn't have enough evidence to move forward. The bodies were identified as repeat offenders. They just had to find evidence of a link between the two.

This led to a good old fashioned stakeout. The problem with tailing club owners is that they don't get out of work until early morning. The sun was rising and the light hit Arthur right in the eye. He flipped down the visor in annoyance and rubbed his eye.

"Isn't it romantic?" Merlin said, sipping his coffee.

"Shut up, Merlin."

"Speaking of romance," Merlin continued anyways, "I was talking to your sister the other day and—"

"Why would you subject yourself to mindless chatter with Morgana?" If they were going to talk about his sister, Arthur was definitely going to develop a migraine.

"As I was saying, I was having a lovely chat with her, and she said that you and Mithian were on again. When did this happen?"

Mithian, his on and off girlfriend, had called him a few days ago. They had a friendly dinner and decided to give it another go. "Stop gossiping with my sister. What would Freya think?"

"Hey, at least I know where I stand with my girlfriend."

Almost an hour later, there was movement. Alvarr, the owner, and some others exited the club. Arthur snapped photos of their every move until they got into their cars and drove away. At the station, they set up a board with all the pictures pinned to it. All the men in the photos were identified; their mug shots circled around Alvarr's and the two bodies with red strings linking them all together. But they still couldn't pin the murderer or even find a motive.

They needed a new plan.

* * *

The force stood around the phone listening to Gwaine as he made his report. "There's no way I can get in."

Arthur stared at the phone in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You can't get into a club? You're… _you!_"

"Their security is tight and not easily persuaded," Gwaine's normally charismatic voice sounded defeated through the speaker. "I tried everything. Wait, no. I should've flirted."

Gaius crossed his arms and looked around. "Any ideas?"

"Maybe Gwaine should try again, this time in a dress," Percival said.

"A little black dress," Leon added.

"Aw man," Gwaine said. "I didn't shave my legs."

"You could wear tights," Merlin suggested.

Arthur shook his head and turned back to the board. Alvarr had dealings in drugs, and his club was undoubtedly run on drug money. If the murders were drug related and with the amount of security Alvarr had set up, he wasn't the one to get his hands dirty. So who did it? Arthur followed the red string to another mug shot. Between the two was one of the photos he snapped of Alvarr interacting with another man. _Cenred Essetir_, Arthur read. "Cenred, Cenred…Why does that name sound familiar?"

Merlin, too, looked at the picture. "Cenred Essetir, let's see." Merlin pulled out the file. "Here we are. Cenred Essetir: drugs, fraud trafficking, thef—"

"Trafficking?" Arthur interrupted.

"Yeah."

A light bulb went off in his head. The list Gwen gave him what seemed like ages ago. "We might have a way in," he said grabbing his own phone.

Over the other, Gwaine's voice came through again. "What? What's happening?"

* * *

Gwen and Tiny were on the couch watching _Antiques Roadshow_. Well, it was more of Gwen watching and Tiny resting with his head on her lap. She was playing along, and right when the price was about to be revealed her phone rang. She reached over for it, and Tiny made a little disgruntled noise but didn't make an effort to move. She didn't have a chance to say hello when Arthur started speaking.

"Do you know an Alvarr Neahtid?" Arthur asked with haste.

"Hello to you, too, detective."

"Alvarr Neahtid. Do you know him?" he asked again tightly.

"I do…" she said.

"Do you know of his club? Can you get me into it?"

Gwen shifted uncomfortably and Tiny moved away with a concerned look. "Yes and yes," she said. "What is this about?"

"Good. I'll pick you up in a half hour."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying? Because if it is, I'm going to need more than a half hour."

"Half hour." Arthur hung up.

Gwen sighed and looked down at Tiny. "Not even a please."

* * *

Arthur probably didn't need to bang on the door as hard as he did, but he was getting anxious. He heard Tiny's muffled bark from inside. The door swung open, and Gwen was already coming out with one shoe on and the other in her hand.

She closed the door behind her and supported herself on Arthur's shoulder to put on the other shoe. "Do you know how hard it is to get ready for a place like the Crystal Club in half an hour," she said practically out of breath. After she balanced herself, she got to walking down to the car. Arthur got a good look at her. She finally looked like the femme fatale he often envisioned her as in her little black dress. She stopped and turned to face him. He noticed a bit too slow. "Were you checking me out?" She did a little twirl. "You can't see my gun, can you?"

"W-what?" Arthur choked out.

"Just kidding. My weapon of choice is a fireplace poker." She noted his confused look. "It's a long story."

A block away from the club, they pulled up behind a van. The back opened to reveal two technicians and an interior full of gadgets. "George, Elena, this is Guinevere. Get her wired." Arthur helped Gwen into the van, and once she was in Elena pushed George out.

"For propriety," she said, and closed the van door.

A few minutes later, Arthur jumped when he heard Gwen's voice in his ear. _"This is exciting!"_ Arthur huffed. "Don't get too comfortable," he muttered back.

The door opened and Gwen stepped effortlessly down from the van, like a gazelle in heels, and straightened her skirt. No trace of a wire could be seen under her tight dress.

"I'm patching you guys through to everyone," Elena said. "Good luck."

Arthur and Gwen hopped back in the car and drove up to the front of the club. "So I'm the best you got?" Gwen poked her fingers back and forth at him. "Does this make me part of the team, just like one of the guys?"

Gwaine laughed in their ears. "I'm not complaining."

"Don't encourage her," Arthur said to Gwaine.

They got out of the car and Arthur handed his keys to the valet. Gwen looped her arm in his and they went straight to the front door, cutting the queue and sparking vocal protest.

The bouncer looked at them smugly, prepared to reject them. "Mayard," Gwen said.

"'scuse me?" the bouncer scoffed.

"Oh," Gwen tilted her head. "You must be new."

"Back of the line lady, and take your boytoy with you."

"Look at your list, you idiot," Arthur snapped.

"You won't have to look too hard. I promise it's at the top," Gwen said more politely.

The bouncer looked down. Indeed Mayard was at the top. He let them through.

They were greeted with thumping music and flashing lights. It was everything Gilli described and more. Elaborate crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Lights refracted off crystal accents all around the room making it glitter. "Dance with me, detective," Gwen said dragging him to the dance floor. She pulled him close, forcing him to move with her to the music. "Alvarr's going to be told that we're here. The bouncer's new so he won't know that you're not Helios. Alvarr's always at the VIP section, I'll distract him there and you do whatever it is you need to do."

They got a clear view of the VIP section, and Alvarr sitting in the middle of a gaggle of women. "Are you ready?" Gwen asked Arthur.

"I should be asking you that," he replied.

Gwen gave him a confident smile and pulled away from him. She disappeared into the crowed before reappearing on the steps that led to up to the VIP platform.

The guard let her through, and the plan was in action. Alvarr stood to greet her. Arthur saw their mouths move and heard them loud and clear.

"_It's a pleasure to see you again, Alvarr."_

"_And you, Gwen. Where's Helios?"_

"_Who said I was here with him?"_

"_That's not what I mean. Word on the street has it he's pulled a runner."_

"_Is that the only word?"_

"_Where is he, Gwen?"_

"_Gone."_

"_Where?"_

"_To Hell, I imagine."_

"_Now he's left you to clean up his mess, I see."_

Gwen's snort was small and only heard by Arthur in his earpiece. While they chatted, he found one of the doors that led to the basement where Gwen said all their dealings occur. The door could only be opened with a keycard. He stayed in the shadows and notified the others. "Looks like you get to knock down another door, Percival."

"Ready when you are, boss," Percival responded.

"_You didn't come alone." _

Arthur pushed back deeper into the shadows and waited.

"_I brought along a friend."_

"_Why don't you bring her up to join us?"_

"_I don't think __**he's **__your type."_

"_He? Moved on from Helios that quickly?"_

"_A girl gets lonely."_

"_If you need someone to keep you company you can always—AH-OW—Okay I get it." _

"_The club is still going strong, I see."_

"_We're literally sitting on gold."_

"_White powdery gold?"_

"_Party upstairs, business downstairs."_

In his ear, Merlin said, "The alley is clear. We'll come in from the back. Percival and his team will come through the front and go to you."

"_Have any trouble lately?"_

"_A couple amateurs blew a run a while back. Cenred put them down though."_

"_Down as in…dead?" Gwen whispered._

"_Very."_

"_Well that's quite the lesson. Is Cenred here? I bet he has a few words to say to me."_

_Alvarr chuckled. "He's downstairs."_

"_Let's go then."_

"_It's your funeral."_

The curtains covering the back wall of the VIP lounge hid another door to the basement. "Don't get yourself killed, Guinevere." She made a little _hmph_.

"_What is she doing here?!" _Arthur winced at Cenred's gravely tone in his ear.

"_Hello, Cenred. Where's that wife of yours. I was hoping we could start Real Housewives of the London Underground."_

"_Where's Helios? Where's my money?"_

"_You're sitting on a pile of drugs and you're concerned about money?"_

"_He owes me."_

"_It's the principal, isn't it?" Gwen laughed. "Well, good luck finding him."_

There was a crashing sound, a table being flipped maybe. _"Oh, come on Cenred there's no need for that," Alvarr said. _

"_Tell me where the fuck he is!" _There was a shuffling sound, and then Gwen made a choking noise. _"Tell me where he is, you bitch, or you'll be in my next shipment!"_

"Move in now!" Arthur ordered. He heard the sound of Merlin confirming the command and another door being busted through. Behind him, clubgoers screamed as the reinforcements worked through the crowd. They busted through the door and Arthur led them down the stairs.

Merlin's group got there first, guns trained on the goons. Only Gwen and Alvarr had their hands raised.

"It's over Cenred, Alvarr. You're surrounded," Arthur said. Some of the goons dropped their weapons seeing that the fight wasn't worth it.

"I have no idea what's happening," Alvarr tried to play innocent with his hands up in the air in surrender.

From behind, Percival disarmed Cenred. It distracted the others, and they too were disarmed and cuffed. To keep up appearances, Gwen was cuffed as well by Gwaine. He must've said something cheeky because she was biting back a smirk. The grunts were loaded into vans and Cenred, Alvarr, and Gwen were placed in separate cruisers.

On his way to the front of the club, Arthur went over to Leon doing crowd control. "Everything's fine," Leon said. "It's just everyone trying to get their cars. The valets ran off."

Arthur nodded. "We'll get some more hands to help out. Gotta get my car, too." He then went over to the cruisers that held Cenred and Alvarr and the others. He told them to head down to the station.

Gwaine was standing outside his car waiting for Arthur. "A drug bust and a murder solved in one night. Can we keep her?" Gwaine said opening the door and helping Gwen out.

Gwen rubbed her wrist when he uncuffed her. "So did I do good, or did I do good?"

Arthur frowned. "Did Cenred hurt you?"

Gwen's hand automatically went to her neck. She rubbed the side as if she meant to do it. "_Pfft. _Cenred couldn't hurt a fly," she brushed it off. "Take me home, detective. My feet are killing me."

* * *

**A/N: **Please don't kill me for giving Arthur a girlfriend! I have my reasons which will be revealed in the next chapter. Or now seeing how I can't keep a secret. Can you say jealous Gwen? Hahaha

**Thanks always** for reading and reviewing!


	6. Everyone's a Critic

**Everyone's a Critic**

Arthur made a joke about Leon switching his career to traffic cop which resulted in Leon holding Arthur's keys hostage until every last officer on the scene left. Gwen didn't mind the wait. In fact, she encouraged Leon. Watching Arthur grow annoyed and pouty made her feet hurt significantly less.

When Leon surrendered the keys, he tossed them to Gwen. She waited in the car while Arthur shared some final words with Leon. She leaned against the window, hand resting on her sore collar. When the car door slammed, she jumped, not realizing Arthur had gotten in.

"I should get Leon stuck behind the booking desk for a year," Arthur said plotting his revenge as he fastened his seatbelt. "Or is that too long?" he asked her. He noticed her posture. "Are you alright?"

Gwen dropped her hand. "I'm fine."

He thought she needed to work on her poker face. "When are you going to drop the tough girl act?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's okay to admit when you're scared."

"I wasn't scared," she said adamantly.

Arthur wasn't buying it. The rest of the ride was in silence. When they pulled up to her home, before Gwen got out he said, "Part of me doesn't want to entertain the idea, but if you ever need to, you can talk to me."

Head down, Gwen fiddled with the door handle as she internalized what he just said. She gave the slightest of nods and exited without a word.

* * *

The ink on Cenred's paperwork wasn't even dry when a very strange call came in from the park. When Arthur arrived, it was blocked off by caution tape and several police cruisers. Curious locals craned their heads to try and get a glimpse of what was happening, though the coroner truck should've been a dead giveaway.

Arthur flashed his badge and was let through. He stood next to the officer and stared at the scene with wide eyes.

Three column stands stood in a line. On top of each was a bell jar with a disassembled skull in each, the pieces held apart by rods. The third stand was skewed with a headless body was partially dug up at its base.

"What the hell is this?"

"I have no idea," the officer said. "You're the inspector. Inspect."

Arthur circled the display, trying to make sense of it while the cop read off his notes to him. People just thought it was some installation art, but one concerned parent called in with a complaint saying it was a disturbance and how no one thinks of the children _yada yada_. He and his partner came down to check it out and pulled up that stand, saw a hand, and started digging. When they saw the hand was attached to a very real body, they made the call.

According to the lab, the skulls belonged to the headless bodies. They were stripped of flesh and bleached to make Beauchene skulls, also known as exploded skulls. Arthur searched every shop that specialized in oddities until one appraiser recalled a sketchy man interested in how to make Beauchene skulls and the best bugs to use to clean the flesh off bones. After the man's inquiry, he made the mistake of purchasing a three headed pig fetus in a jar with a credit card.

The arrest was quick. They busted into his home and literally caught him red-handed. He was finger painting a portrait with the blood of his victims. He cried about his art all the way to prison.

* * *

After the week he's had, the art gallery is the last place Arthur wanted to be on his day off. Mithian pleaded with him to come to a show at the gallery she owned. They'd both be dressed up and it can be sort of a date since his schedule didn't really allow the time.

Arthur stared at the painting in front of him. There was art and then there was _art_, and it was _art_ that he didn't get. It was the feature painting of a Lance du Lac who Mithian discovered in France. She said he was a genius. Arthur couldn't see it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Gwen said from behind him.

Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin. "What are you doing here?"

She stood there admiring the painting in an elegant red dress. She gave him a brief look, then back to the painting. "I RSVP'd months ago."

"You got an invite?"

"Helios made donations to the gallery. He was a collector." She practically spewed acid with her words, and Arthur noticed her fingers flex on her gold beaded clutch, gripping the purse tighter. He remembered the first time they met. _He called me his prized possession, _her words echoed in his head_._ Her grip relaxed and she spoke again, this time in a friendlier tone. "I want to apologize for my attitude last week."

"I realize that I never thanked you for your help," Arthur said. "So…thank you."

Gwen smiled. "You're welcome, and I'm sorry."

Arthur gave her a small smile of his own then turned back at the painting. "It looks like a bunch of squiggles having sex."

"A bunch of squiggles that represent the vibrations of the human soul in the middle of coital bliss," said a new voice. It was Lance du Lac. "But art is always open to interpretation." He held out his hand. "Lance du Lac, the artist. Welcome to my show."

Arthur shook his hand. "DCI Arthur Pendragon." He didn't like him. His brain kept associating artists with killers. Some artists were psychopaths, weren't they?

"Ah, detective. Mithian told me all about you and the case you solved that saved the gallery."

"Just part of the job."

"And you got the girl."

Gwen watched the exchange and wondered what the artist meant. Lance turned his attention on her. "I'm sorry, miss," he apologized and introduced himself to her despite her being right there when he did so with Arthur. "Thank you for your compliments."

"Oh, you've met," Mithian said coming up. She gave Arthur a peck on the lips. "I'm glad you're here, darling. And Merlin, too. No ghastly murders today? Must be a quiet day in London."

"It's still early," Gwen muttered. Now she knew what Lance meant. She picked a glass of champagne off the passing waiter's tray and took a long sip. It tasted sour, or that could've been the foul taste that formed in her mouth when she witnessed Arthur and Mithian's public display of affection.

"Oh, Mrs. Maynard, it's good to see you. Where is Helios?" Mithian looked around.

"He's dead," Gwen said flatly. "And it's Leodegrance." She stepped away to avoid the awkwardness that would follow, and joined Merlin, his girlfriend, and Morgana on the other side of the room.

Arthur wanted to follow her and risk the torture of being in the same vicinity as his sister, but Mithian reeled him back in.

* * *

The atmosphere on the other side of the room felt much less pretentious, and Gwen felt more at ease when she greeted Merlin. "DS Emrys, it's good to see you again."

"And you Ms. Leodegrance."

"Please, call me Gwen."

"If you call me Merlin."

Merlin's politeness, along with Leon, Gwaine, and Percival, had made Gwen nervous at first. When she met them, she felt they were silently judging her knowing that she got away with murder. But they were very kind. After the arrests at Alvarr's club, they had each approached her to check up on and thank her for her assistance. Gwen raised her glass to Merlin. "It's a deal."

He introduced her to his girlfriend, Freya. She worked as a zoo veterinarian. Freya was very nervous, and she kept trying to discreetly sniff the air around her. Merlin said it was because she fell into panther poo earlier and still felt unclean. They both assured Freya that she smelled lovely.

Then he introduced her to Morgana, Arthur's sister. "_Half_ sister," Morgana corrected. Merlin said the siblings emphasized the half when they were arguing. Their resemblance was in the way they carried themselves more than their appearance. But when Morgana's piercing green eyes glared at Arthur, he caught his sister's eye and served her one right back with an equal stormy blue intensity, and Gwen could really see it. Oh yes, they were definitely siblings.

"You know," Gwen said brightly to Merlin. "When Detective Pendragon first introduced us and called you his partner, I thought you two were _together_."

"If I got a pay raise every time someone thought that…" Merlin sighed.

Morgana broke her staring contest with her brother and doubled over in hysterics, holding onto an also laughing Freya. It caught the attention of many of the guests, and Freya blushed with embarrassment. Morgana paid them no mind. "Don't mind them, Freya. It's rare for the Posh to crack a smile."

The room quieted to the low sound of chatter and gentle classical music playing in the background until Mithian's own laugh could be heard from across the room. Gwen glanced over her shoulder. Mithian was leaning on Arthur, and his arm was around her waist.

Morgana's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Who wants to bet that'll end in a month?"

"I thought you're friends with Mithian?" Freya asked.

"More of acquaintances," Morgana said. "So, that wager?"

Merlin opted out. "He'll kill me if he found out I bet against him…again."

Gwen drummed her nails against her glass. "Count me in." She shared a red lipped smirk with Morgana.

* * *

Arthur stood outside on the phone. He lied saying he had to take a phone call, when in fact he was making one. He wanted to check in with Gaius to see if he as needed, anything to get him out of there. Gaius insisted that everything was under control and for Arthur to enjoy his night off. Arthur hung up with a grumble.

"Your sister is lovely," Gwen said.

Arthur grimaced. "You need to stop doing that."

"Just keeping you on your toes, detective," she said. "So, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?"

"Of course you would like Morgana. You're just as annoying as she is," Arthur scoffed.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Gwen playfully swatted him with her purse. "Why didn't tell me about you and Mithian?"

Arthur crossed his arms. "It's none of your business."

Gwen crossed hers too. "I thought you said I could talk to you."

"Not about my personal life."

"Well, I think it's good that you have a girlfriend. Do you always pick up women during your investigations?"

Arthur groaned. "It wasn't like that."

"What was it like, then?" Gwen dropped her arms and held them behind her back. She rocked back and forth on her heels like an inquisitive child.

He ignored her.

"She seems nice," Gwen probed.

"She is." Arthur's response was short, elongating his anticipation for another one of Gwen's nosey questions.

"Merlin and Freya make a very adorable couple," she said.

He agreed with her.

"Unlike you and Mithian."

Arthur's shoulders slumped. "You are very opinionated tonight."

"And you're a wee bit grumpier," Gwen quipped.

"What do you have against Mithian?" He was too late in questioning her because her taxi pulled up.

"See you, detective." She winked at him over her shoulder and slipped inside the black cab.

Arthur watched the cab drive away and disappear around the corner. As brief as their interaction was, Gwen was the highlight of his night.

* * *

**A/N: **Actual Gwen-Mithian interaction in the next chapter (unless I change something). It was originally in this chapter but I cut it out for a better flow. And so I'm extra sorry for the wait if you were looking for a showdown. Forgive me!

**THANKS ALWAYS** for reading and reviewing! And keep those suggestions coming. They're really helping in the formation of upcoming chapters


	7. Something Stupid

**Something Stupid**

Wanting to catch up with Sefa, Gwen took her out to lunch. She learned that Sefa was looking for a job and trying to reconnect with her father, but she was failing on both fronts.

In the middle of the lunch, Sefa's phone rang. "It's the store manager," she said, staring at her phone anxiously.

Gwen shared her look. "Don't just look at it. Answer it!" She watched in anticipation as Sefa answered and greeted the manager with a friendly tone. Her heart sank when Sefa's face fell.

"Thank you for your consideration," Sefa said in a strained voice. She ended the call and started to wring the cloth napkin in her hand. "They did a background check, and my arrest for soliciting popped up. So not only am I a whore to them, I'm a whore with a record." She threw the napkin down on the plate. "This is the third rejection this week."

"I know someone. They can set you up with something…" Gwen was already scrolling through her contacts ready to make the call now but Sefa stopped her.

"Just stop," Sefa said coldly. "It's your fault I'm in this situation in the first place."

"Sefa, I'm only trying to help."

"I don't need your charity." Sefa looked away, trying not to cry. She noticed the chic atmosphere of the restaurant. "Oh, God. I'm getting it right now. Is this your way of making amends?"

"I'm just—"

"No!" Sefa jumped out of her chair. "Just stay out of my life!" she shouted, and stormed out the restaurant.

Gwen felt countless of eyes on her. She left twice the amount of the bill on the table and made her own hasty exit.

* * *

Arthur's phone was on silent during the meeting but on top of the desk. He saw it light up for the incoming call. _Guinevere_. When the call ended, the screen went dark. He focused back on Gaius until his attention was brought back to the phone when the screen lit up again, notifying him of a new voicemail. Something about it nagged Arthur, so he excused himself to listen to the message.

"_My name is Guinevere Leodegrance, formerly Maynard, and I killed my husband…" _Her message detailed how she planned and executed Helios' death. _"I always thought about killing him. Then one day at the botanical garden, I was entranced by the beauty of a belladonna plant. When I got home, I realized I had plucked one of the flowers and had been carrying it around in my pocket. I heard of the flower's poisonous properties and read more about it. Detective Pendragon was right; poison is a woman's weapon. I kept going back to the garden, inconspicuously plucking flowers every time." _There was a pause and a small chuckle. _"They should maybe increase their security." _The lighter tone was quickly dropped when she continued. _"Being a dutiful housewife, I always had a pot of tea ready for Helios when he came home from __**work**__. The day he died—the day I killed him—I told him I would probably be late coming home, but the tea leaves and belladonna—which he didn't know, obviously—were already in the tea pot. All he had to do was add water…" _There was a brief but heavy silence. **"**_Well, that's pretty much it. You can arrest me now. You have my address. The door will be open."_

"End of messages," the automated voice said and gave him the option to erase or save it. Arthur saved it, popped his head back in the meeting room, and said he had to handle an emergency. Gaius let him go without a second thought.

Her door was indeed open, unlocked instead of broken in like her previous residence. "Guinevere?" He called out to her as he went down the hall. Tiny barked in response. He entered the living room where she sat on the couch, back to him, arms raised in surrender. "What are you doing?"

Gwen looked back at him with a frown and dropped her arms. "Did Superintendent Gaius send you? Is it his way of giving you the honor of having your perfect record restored?" She leaned over the back of the couch and held out her wrists to be handcuffed. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

She wasn't really focusing on him, and she couldn't hold out her arms without the support of the couch. Arthur saw an empty wine bottle on the coffee table. "That message was meant for Gaius?"

Gwen's mouth formed a silent _oooh_. "I should probably try again." She looked around. "Where'd I put my phone?" She called Tiny over to her, bent down to his level, and scratched behind his ears. "Do you know here I put my phone?"

"_Ruff!" _was Tiny's response.

"I'll take that as a no," she sighed. "I'm gonna miss you." Tiny whimpered when she pulled away. She tried to stand and failed, flopping back on the couch.

"I'm not arresting you, but a night in the drunk tank might do you some good," Arthur said, and sat down next to her. "What brought this on?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Gwen grumbled, reclining back and draping an arm over her face.

"I would, actually."

"Sefa. She's been struggling to find work. I've been trying to help, but she keeps giving up. She blamed me for ruining her life." Gwen let out a resentful laugh. "She's not wrong. Look at me trying to be the savior of working girls. No matter how hard I try, I can't undo what I did. How many lives did I ruin? Those girls are scarred for life. I don't deserve to walk free."

Tiny rested his head on Gwen's knees and looked from her to Arthur with sad puppy dog eyes. Gwen blindly reached out to pet him with her other hand, missing several times before Arthur took it and rested it on Tiny's head. "It's not your fault," he said.

The arm across Gwen's face dropped. She sat up with a clear and pained expression. "The moment I found out…I could've…_should've_ done something. In life you always have a choice. Sometimes it's easier to think that you don't."

Choices can have consequences. Arthur knew that no matter what she chose, the odds would've been against her. "Going against a man like Helios usually results in death."

"That would've been a blessing," Gwen said.

"And then there would've been a lot more girls in trouble," Arthur finished.

Gwen lazily waved her finger at him. "I see what you're trying to do and it's sweet, but the guilt won't go away." She fell back again, and her eyes lingered closed. "How long will it take me to be made a prison wife? I have all the makings of one: meek and obedient. I'm just a scared little girl, like you said."

Arthur hated when people misconstrued his words. "I didn't say you were a scared little girl. I said you can drop the tough girl act. And you're none of those things. You're just drunk."

She didn't respond, and remained in that sprawled position. If she stayed that way, she would surely be feeling it in the morning. Arthur sighed and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder. She protested half heartedly and threatened to kill him. "I did it before, and I can do it again!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Uh huh. Where's your bedroom?"

"That way, Neanderthal." Her directions were ineffective with her torso slung over his back. Tiny moved in front of him and led him to the bedroom. He tossed her down on the bed, and Tiny hopped up and curled up at her feet.

"You certainly have a way with women." Gwen muttered, rolling over and burying her head in the pillow. "Next time just club me over the head, and drag me by my hair."

Arthur glanced around the room. It was sparsely decorated and boxes still needed to be unpacked. The only other furniture was a computer chair, desk, and lamp. He sat in the chair.

"You're not gonna watch me sleep, are you? Because that's creepy," Gwen said. "Or are you making sure I don't call in another confession…to the right number this time."

"The second one."

"Well, you have the message, though you don't strike me as the blackmailing type."

Arthur liked having the upper hand. He's gotten quite a few confessions with blackmail, but she didn't have to know that. "Do you want to test that theory?"

"You can go. I promise I won't do anything stupid. I don't see why you care anyway. It's not like we're…" Gwen let out a long yawn, "…friends…"

"Guinevere?"

She responded with soft breathing. She was asleep. Arthur got up and stretched. When he pushed the chair back in, he spotted a stack of post-it notes behind the laptop.

* * *

Gwen's head was splitting in two. She sat up as slowly as possible, but her brain still rattled. She pressed her temples with the heel of her palms, and then ran her hands down her face, coming in contact with a piece of paper. She pulled the post-it away and squinted. She didn't know if it was the appalling handwriting or her hangover that made it worse than it appeared.

_Reminder—_

_Don't do something stupid._

A smile began to form but a passing car backfired causing Tiny to let out a distressed bark. Gwen groaned, flopping back on the bed and smothering her face with the pillow.

She forced herself up two hours later and treated herself to aspirin and coffee. Her first thought with her freshly cleared head was Arthur's relationship with Mithian. Gwen felt like she had her favorite toy taken from her. She now sympathized with Tiny when she had to throw away her slipper he destroyed while using as a chew toy.

The last time she felt jealousy, her brother and father were still alive. When they were children, their father got Elyan a bicycle and she threw a tantrum, saying it wasn't fair that he got one and she didn't. Then Elyan fell off the bike and lost a tooth. Her tantrum turned into fits and giggles.

The detective was the closest she had to a friend. The least she could do is be happy for him.

Tiny was pawing at the door, itching to go for a walk. Gwen was itching to not do something stupid.

They entered the gallery and were quickly approached by one of the workers. "Excuse me, Miss, but animals are not allowed in here," she practically screeched. If Gwen had to listen to her any more, her headache would return.

"There were plenty of those teacup dogs in here a few days ago," Gwen said. The woman tried to deny it. "Oh please, every purse had a fuzzy head sticking out of it."

She let herself into Mithian's office. Tiny bounded in, causing Mithian to startle back.

"What—Mrs. May—Ms. Leodegrance! What's the meaning of this?"

Gwen sat in the chair, and Tiny sat next to her on the floor without being commanded.

Mithian looked at Tiny. "Um…dogs aren't allowed inside."

Gwen lifted an eyebrow. "Well I couldn't just leave him tied up outside. Someone could steal him. People are prone to stealing, you know. Cars, jewelry, husbands, etcetera, etcetera…" She tilted her head. "Or is there just a size limit, because during the opening…"

Mithian laughed falling back into her chair. "Some woman and their dog accessories. It's ridiculous!"

Gwen forced a smile. "Yes, anyway, I was wondering if I could have a quick word."

"Of course," Mithian nodded.

"I was a bit short with you at the opening. I apologize for that," It pained Gwen to say.

"I understand. I couldn't imagine being widowed so young," Mithian said softly. She leaned forward as if projecting her sympathy. "Helios was a generous contributor to the gallery. Would you mind telling me where he's buried? I'd love to leave some flowers."

While Mithian had been talking, Gwen was picking dirt out under her fingernails. She looked up. "Huh? Oh. You can try the dump." Having to fake her emotions all the time trained her in not inappropriately laughing at the look on Mithian's face. "I had him cremated. I threw his ashes in the trash."

That still didn't help the other woman understand. Gwen prepared to explain how much of a scumbag Helios was, but a knock on the door stopped her.

Mithian quickly looked at the door. "Um, c-come in," she said.

Lance came in. "Oh, you're busy."

Gwen studied the artist looking just as dashing in a white button down, jeans, and sneakers as he did in his tuxedo. An artist in a tux was a sight to behold. A very handsome artist in a tux. "You've got something on your…" she indicated to his collar.

Lance blushed and his hand went to his shirt collar. "Must be paint," he muttered. "I'll, uh, talk to you later, Mithian. Excuse me." He left, closing the door behind him.

Gwen turned back to a Mithian who was looking a little flushed. "It's always the lipstick on the collar that gives it away—which brings me back to why I'm here. I'll make this quick like I intended this to be." Mithian looked nervous and confused. It was Gwen's turn to lean forward, projecting intimidation. "I met Detective Pendragon before the opening. Helios was murdered and he was on the case. What I came to tell you is that Arthur is a good man. Much too good for you."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Hurt him and you'll be sorry."

Tiny ruffed. "Are you ready to go, boy?" Gwen asked sweetly, the complete opposite of how she sounded seconds before. Tiny wagged his tail. "Yeah, me too. Enjoy the rest of your day, Mithian." She got up and Tiny followed. They left Mithian in a stunned silence.

* * *

**A/N:** This should've been up earlier, but I started knitting socks and weeeellllll… haha. Did you notice that I threw in Gwen's line from 1x06? I get really excited when I can incorporate stuff from the show into aus, especially this one since the characters are OOC (but a good OOC I hope?).

Just fyi I totes exaggerated Helios' death. Back when I wrote it I was wracking my brain for gruesome death by poisons and my brain was like DING Game of Thrones. Talk about excellent book to screen translation, if you know what I'm talking about. (purposely not saying in case there are readers who are catching up and avoid spoilers like the plague)

To my dear **Guest **who mentioned the magic compass from Your Greatest Desire in Across the Universe (which I should get to adding to one of these days), it can make an appearance in this…in the form of a GPS! Ooooooooor a murder case in which someone was killed over a very interesting trinket hmmmm.

Don't worry if suggestions haven't made an appearance yet. I'm trying to make things flow episode/story-like instead of one-shots. But there will be a kidnapping or something, more heart to hearts, definitely the knights helping to renovate Gwen's dance studio, UST, and more!

So keep those suggestions coming and **THANKS ALWAYS** for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! (wow this author's note was long)


	8. (Mis)understanding

**(Mis)understanding**

If it wasn't a dead body, it was paperwork, and Arthur would take a corpse over deskwork any day. He wasn't above passing it over to someone else. Too bad Merlin was out. He dropped another form into the done pile and pulled out his phone. He opened his saved messages and put the phone to his ear.

"_My name is Guinevere Leodegrance, formerly Maynard, and I killed my husband…"_

He lost track of how many times he listened to the message. When he left Gwen last night, he played it over and over, feeling like he was discovering something new about her each time. The first time all he heard was a cold, clear confession. Now after seeing her in a state of vulnerability, he was reading between the lines, or in this case, listening.

"_I always thought about killing him…"_

It was more than a crime of passion, it was premeditated. Calculated. Gwen was a woman who had her reasons.

When she shot the prostitute killer, she deposited three bullets up the spinal cord. The third was through the neck. It wasn't luck, it was skill. The first shot alone guaranteed death. The rest was for show.

_She chuckled at her own comment about the botanical garden's lack of security._

She threatened to kill him when he dragged her to bed. It was a drunken, empty threat that he dismissed. But the more he thought about what she was capable of, a bit of fear crept into him.

Arthur's office door opened to reveal a panicked Mithian rambling about being threatened. He quickly ended the message. "Close the door behind you, take a seat, and repeat that more clearly," he said to her in a calm tone.

Mithian took a deep breath and composed herself before doing what he said. She smoothed down her skirt and sat with perfect posture. "Guinevere Leodegrance killed her husband, and now she's going to kill me."

Yeah, that's what Arthur thought he heard. "What makes you think this?"

"She practically told me!" Mithian was quickly losing it. "She waltzed into the gallery with her beast of a dog and threatened me! She said she threw Helios' ashes in the trash. Then she said if I hurt you I'll be sorry. Shouldn't you be writing this down?"

"Right," Arthur said slowly, grabbing his notepad and pen. "And I play into this because…?"

That's when Mithian looked guilty. "I, um, had a thing with Helios, and now she's punishing me."

Arthur paused his note-taking "A thing?"

Mithian's lips thinned, wanting to remain tight-lipped, but honesty prevailed. "We had a relationship."

"A sexual relationship," Arthur said, resuming his notes. It wasn't a question, and it was confirmed when Mithian nodded.

"She knew. I'm sure of it. That's why she killed him, and now she's coming after me!"

As Arthur transcribed Mithian's statement, he couldn't help but debunk everything she said. Gwen didn't fit the jealous wife profile. "You think she's trying to teach you a lesson?"

"Yes!"

Arthur tapped his pen on the pad for a moment. "Seeing how I have personal connections to this, I can't investigate, so I'll pass it on to Gaius." he said. "But listen, Helios was involved in dangerous business, and he had a lot of enemies." _Like his wife_, Arthur left unsaid.

"Dangerous business—oh, God. Like drugs?" Mithian really didn't know. She was just another woman Helios fooled.

"Among other things."

Mithian began to hyperventilate. Arthur ran out to the water cooler and brought her back a cup of water. She drank it down and took a deep breath. "That's it? I just wait while the wife of a kingpin is watching my every move."

Arthur put a hand on her shoulder. "Gaius will look into it right away, I promise. But you have nothing to worry about." Mithian stood and they shared a hug. "I'll drop by later."

When Mithian left, Arthur pulled out his phone and played the message again. Gwen killed the Helios to save herself and at least hinder his operations. And she killed in order to save him.

She threatened Mithian to protect him?

"_My name is Guinevere Leodegrance, formerly Maynard, and I kil—" Beeep._

"Message deleted," the automated voice informed.

* * *

Gwen was comparing the prices of hardwood flooring when she heard the muffled ringing of her cell phone. She lifted up the cushions and looked under the couch but couldn't find it. With her ear closer to the ground, the ringing sounded louder. She scanned the floor and saw the device peeking out from under Tiny's dog bed. She side-eyed her dog on the couch. Tiny made a low whine and covered his face with his paw. He was caught.

She crawled quickly to the phone, grabbed it, and answered before the ringing stopped. "Hello?" If she had checked the caller ID, she would've seen that it was Arthur.

"Did you threaten Mithian?" he asked.

"We're going to have to work on your phone etiquette, detective. And no, not quite?" She scratched the back of her head. "Did she already come to you? I just saw her like an hour ago."

"You're going to get a call from Gaius asking you to come down to the station for your own statement," he said.

"Thanks for the warning?" Gwen wanted to laugh. Surely it wasn't proper procedure to give suspects of any kind a warning in advance. "Did she say anything else that you want to talk about?"

"Not now." Arthur grumbled a goodbye and hung up. At least he said goodbye. It was a start.

Shortly after, Gaius called to inform her of what she already knew and asked when she could come down to the station. She thought it was necessary to get it over with, and Gaius said he could fit her in this evening.

Gwen felt more comfortable in the interrogation room the second time around. She smiled at Gaius across from her as he passed her a Styrofoam cup of tea. "Thank you."

"Sorry it's so late; it's a very busy week." Gaius explained.

"It's alright." Gwen smirked behind her cup. "I'm sure Mithian is going mad with paranoia."

"Miss Nemeth has made a very serious accusation."

Gwen leaned back comfortably in her chair, crossing her legs and folding her hands on her knee. "I can explain that. Last night I was pretty hammered, made a few drunk dials… You know how it's so easy to do nowadays."

"It was quite hard in my day," Gaius reminisced, taking a moment. "Carrier pigeons."

Gwen laughed so hard there were tears in her eyes. She hoped this was some sort of record and that they would put up a plaque and name the interrogation room in her honor. "That's a good one." She wiped her eyes and smiled. The superintendent made her very comfortable. "This morning I was bit hungover, and I probably came off a little strong. It's just that Detective Pendragon and the force have been very helpful." Gwen sighed. "I shouldn't even say what I've thought about her."

"If it will help me understand the situation, feel free to continue," Gaius urged.

"Seeing Mithian again reminded me of Helios' affair with her. It was embarrassing, but at the same time I would wish that she was in my place, that he would leave me for her and I would be free. Is that a horrible thought?"

Gaius gave her a kind, grandfatherly smile. "It's a fair thought."

Gwen got a second wind. "Knowing the type of person Mithian is, I don't want Detective Pendragon to be a victim of her…extracurricular activities. It doesn't mean I'm going to kill her, or that I killed Helios because of their affair. That's ridiculous. I did—"

Gaius made a throat clearing noise. Gwen got the hint. "That's all I have to say, Superintendent. It was just a misunderstanding."

* * *

Arthur stayed an extra hour to watch the interrogation via the livefeed. When they were done, he left immediately to avoid Gwen. In the parking lot, he found her sitting on the hood of his car. He paused at the site of her, sighed, and then continued his trudge to his car. He sat next to her. "So, you're trying to look out for me, huh?"

"Well, I don't want any future heartbreak to cloud your judgment in investigations," Gwen said casually.

Arthur observed her. "I'm sure that's why."

"So how does it feel to be doing the woman that did Helios?" Gwen saw Arthur fight back his reaction, so she made the OK sign with her left hand and repeatedly poked her right index finger through the hole. Arthur blanketed her hands with one of his, pinning them to the car between them. She grinned. "You didn't give Gaius my confession. And I was about to give myself away during the interrogation but he stopped me. This is one of those forces where some things are just swept under the rug." She leaned in and whispered, "Out of sight, out of mind."

With her close proximity and the emptiness of the garage, her delicate whisper danced around him. Arthur fought back a shiver. "Sometimes Gaius can go either way. If you had consciously surrendered, he would put you away. He stopped you from incriminating yourself because he thinks you're better off free," he explained.

It was Gwen's turn to do the observing. Arthur was very much by the book. Despite their odd little friendship, if she dare call it that, she knew that her getting away with murder must have driven him crazy. "But you're not like that. You kept my message."

He gave her a look of feigned confusion. "What message?"

Gwen leaned her forehead on Arthur's shoulder, hiding her smile. His hand was still covering hers. She slipped one out and covered his, sandwiching his hands. "And I thought I was the sneaky one."

The sound of footsteps echoing across the garage pulled them apart. Gwen slipped off the hood and Arthur fiddled with his car keys. "Do you need a ride?"

Gwen told him no. "It's just a quick ride on the tube."

"Good," Arthur said with a friendly grin. "Because you're out of my way."

She shook her head as she walked away. "You're such a gentleman," she said over her shoulder.

On his way home Arthur stopped at Mithian's. She opened the door and smiled. "Well, I must say that this is the sexiest security detail I've ever seen." She smoothed out his jacket lapel and leaned into him.

"Sexy, yes. Security detail, no."

Mithian dropped her hands and frowned. "What?"

"You're not in danger. It was all a misunderstanding." Arthur hoped he phrased it carefully enough. The look of agitation on his girlfriend's face told him he failed.

"A misunderstanding? On my part? She killed her husband!"

"Guinevere did not kill Helios," he lied. "And she's not going to kill you."

Mithian took several heavy breaths. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Arthur said and kissed her cheek. "Stop worrying and get some rest."

Arthur briefly wondered if he was being an inattentive boyfriend for leaving Mithian tonight. She asked him to stay, but it's been a long day and he has an early morning tomorrow. This was the third time they were trying to make their relationship work. But if Arthur was honest with himself, he was tired of trying.

He leaned his head against the door of his flat and lazily unlocked it. That action alone felt like a burden. Inside, he threw the keys on the side table where they slid off and onto the floor. He knew he should pick them up now or he'd forget where they were tomorrow, but he was too tired to follow through. He took off his jacket instead, loosened his tie, and laid back on the couch. It was dead quiet, allowing him to stew in his thoughts.

His thoughts wavered back and forth between Mithian and Gwen. He wondered if she cheated on him in the past. If she did, was it with Helios? It's _a small world, _he snickered at the thought. Was she cheating on him now? Was Gwen's warning actually for him? He felt his opinion of Mithian changing. Could he still trust her?

_Like he trusted Guinevere._

* * *

**A/N: **So I have an ending in mind. And there will be a sequel!

Next chapter – more fun with the knights!

**Thanks always **for reading and reviewing!


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